Domestic

Special Counsel Denies Notifying Summons to Late Lawmaker

A special probe team investigating an online opinion rigging scandal says it never notified a summons to the deceased opposition lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan, who committed suicide on Monday.

Roh, the floor leader of the progressive Justice Party, had been under investigation into suspicions that he accepted illegal political funds from an aide to the power blogger "druking" at the center of the opinion rigging scandal.

An official of the probe team, which is led by independent counsel Huh Ik-bum, was asked by reporters Monday on whether a date for a summons was discussed with the lawmaker.

The official said the team did not investigate the lawmaker or his family and that it did not send out a notice on his summons, adding special prosecutors only looked into the person who provided the illegal political funds.

The official hinted that investigations into the donors will continue, noting that under law, people who provide illegal political funds are also punished.

When asked if the special counsel team feels a sense of responsibility for the death, the official only said the team expresses sorrow for what happened.